News detail

Premier’s visit opening doors to China

Premier and State Development Minister Colin Barnett will meet senior business and government figures as part of an official visit to China this week.

Mr Barnett will arrive in China today for a series of high-level meetings before joining Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s delegation in Shanghai on Thursday.

The Premier will accompany Mr Abbott and other Premiers and Chief Ministers at a meeting with President Xi Jinping, at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Friday.

Mr Abbott, Federal Trade Minister Andrew Robb, other Premiers and Chief Ministers and Australian business leaders are in China as part of a delegation to China to mark the inaugural Australia Week in China.

“I thank the Prime Minister for his invitation to join this high-level delegation, and am looking forward to the opportunity to again promote Western Australia in one of the State’s most significant markets,” Mr Barnett said.

“Western Australia produces the lion’s share of Australia’s exports to China, valued at $66.4billion last year - 70 per cent of the national total.”

Australia Week in China will be one of the largest promotions of Australia ever held in China, promoting opportunities for trade, investment, tourism and education partnerships.

“Western Australia offers many exciting opportunities for Chinese investment, not just in the resources sector, but in areas such as agriculture, science, and in large-scale public infrastructure like the flagship Elizabeth Quay project,” the Premier said.

Mr Barnett will also have meetings in Shanghai with the Chairman of Baosteel and the Chairman of the Zhongfu Group, and with the Chairman of CITIC Group in Beijing. All three companies have significant investments in WA.

The Premier will also travel to Hangzhou to meet with Li Qiang, Governor of Zhejiang Province, and to Nanjing to meet with senior leaders of Jiangsu Province.

Fact File

The Premier most recently travelled to China in October 2013, visiting Hangzhou and Shanghai

China overtook Japan as WA’s largest export market in 2006, with exports worth $66.4billion in 2013, including $50.9billion of iron ore

WA has had a Sister State relationship with the Zhejiang Province since 1987